title: Healthcare in the United States and the practice of laboratory medicine.
abstract: US healthcare and the impact of the changes in the healthcare system on the current and future practice of laboratory medicine are analyzed. Factors considered include--population and government, healthcare expenditure, organization of healthcare delivery (institutions, personnel, healthcare industry, knowledge-personnel production, financing), the impact of managed care, and political and public health issues. The effect of the changing healthcare scene on laboratories and the consequent cost-containment measures for laboratory medicine are examined, including centralization, consolidation, supplier relationships, reengineering and automation (total lab automation), expert systems, CQI, and the move to point-of-care testing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104, USA.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Kricka
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Parsons
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Coolen
mesh_terms: D019411:Clinical Laboratory Techniques / Q000191:economics / Q000639:trends; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000639:trends*; D006076:Government; D017048:Health Care Costs; D007348:Insurance, Health; D007753:Laboratories / Q000191:economics; D014481:United States